Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats Blog - Triplets born - New baby pics

[Thunderhill]

Yep, I agree with Helmstead, Mom probably ate the placenta. If I were to give BoSe I would only give a tiny bit...like 1/4 cc given SQ

You can use a baby bottle which is just right for Nigerians. cut the nipple hole just a little so you have a better stream. As long as your little one has a strong sucking reflex I would do it this way. I would Put a rope around mommy's neck, push her up against a wall and hold her with your knee (or body)...and let that baby drink all it wants. Try dribbling some of her milk on the top of the kids head and let mommy smell it.
If she still rejects it...well congrats...you have a bottle baby. Cows milk is much better for it than the store bought milk replacers....but use Mommy's milk if you can get it.
If you want to leave the baby outside with Mommy you can just cut the sleeve off an old sweatshirt and make a sweater for the baby...using the cuff of the sweatshirt around its next...mmmm...cozy...
I wouldn't leave them out until they can maintain a body temp for a while. I think it takes 24 hours before they are able to regulate their own temps.
If you keep them in the house, you can use preemie diapers with a baby onesie over it to keep the diaper on.
You can also give the kids goat nurtradrench..which you can get at tractor supply. Baby's get about 2 cc's. Its an oral drench full of nutrients.
Good luck with your new kids...they are ADORABLE!!!

 

[ruth]

Well, filed under Top Ten Things I Never Thought I Would Do:

#1 - Milk a goat.

Just tried putting babies back with mama. She is so interested in the little girl, the buckskin, and follows her around and licks her non-stop but doesn't seem to want to stand still to let her nurse. Keeps moving away. She totally ignores the little boy, the black and white one. It can stand there and scream all it wants and she won't go to it.

So......wrestled her, again, and tied her, again. This time I left the rope on the back two heels (90% of the struggle) so next time I tie her it won't be so tough. Anyway, tied her up and the little boy nursed away. I couldn't get the stronger kid, the little girl to nurse and wasn't sure she nursed earlier, just assumed she had. So I also milked the goat. Got a lot of thick, sticky, cream that looks like melted butter. After the weaker one nursed all he wanted, I brought both kids back inside and they are back in tub in front of blower/heater. I then tried to force feed the little girl by using a large dropper. She didn't seem interested but I got a few cc's down her. I'm off to feed store now to buy bottles.

This is going to be very interesting. Interesting is my word for just about anything that normally wouldn't be on my all time Top Ten list.

Thing is Confetti really seems to calm down once she's tied. I put her head over my shoulder and talk calmly to her and she sort of nuzzles into my neck/face. I think she will get the idea very soon.

My reason for getting milk goats was so that we could have fresh milk. So after the babies have been nursing for a few weeks, I'll start trying to milk her just to see what it tastes like. I'm really hoping I won't have to milk her and bottle feed babies for more than a few days. I'd really like nature to take it's course.

Well off to feed store. This would happen on a day I'm here alone. I mean I checked Confetti a dozen times a day because I knew she could be close but there was a five week window with this being the earliest possible date. But never saw her bedding or pacing or restless or any of the other things I've read about.

 

[Thunderhill]

Your thick creamy melted butter stuff sounds like Colostrum.
Might want to see if they have a stomach tube in case little one won't nurse.

 

[needmorechickens!]

That sounds like quite an experience you're having Ruth! I didn't know goats could have triplets. I can't wait to get some goats for my farm too. I hope the mama goat takes to the little boy soon.

~Rebecca

 

[ruth]

I have a question for the experienced goat folk - I read that the first time they poo it's black and sticky and tar looking. But the little girl keeps pooing a yellow/orange sticky substance and the little boy poos what looks exactly like caviar. I'm more worried about what the "healthy" girl is pooing because I haven't read anything about yellow/orange poop. The mama seems intent to keep licking her (the baby's) backside also.

Edited to add: Never mind - found this info on fiascofarm.com

The first few poops a kid will have are like black tar. Then, after the kids start nursing the poops become yellow, sometimes this is quite sticky. The mother may, of may not, keep her kid's butt clean. You need to make sure the poop is cleaned off, especially, since it can dry on their butts and actually clog them up so they are poops anymore. The poops will stay yellow until the kid start eating solid food. As they start eating solid food, the poops become brown.

I thought the little girl had probably nursed when I had the little boy in the house warming him up. From what the above says, the yellow/orange poop is after they nurse so I think that's a good sign. I did tie Confetti and get the little boy to nurse twice so far today so hopefully his poo will also get yellow/orange. Now I'm wondering, since I never saw either one of them poop black tar if they were born earlier than I thought this morning.

 

[PortageGirl]

At least they're both pooping!!! And yep, mom will encourage by cleaning them. (or should)

 

[ruth]

Quote:
CONGRATULATIONS - I just saw your thread and your goat just had two babies - with your assistance. Aren't they just the cutest things?

 

[davidb]

Heres a place that everyone with goats should know about. its www the goat spot

 

[Chirpy]

Gotta love FiascoFarm!

I'm glad things 'seem' to be going better. Sounds like the little girl is going to be fine, since the little boy is eating for you hopefully he will also be fine. It's possible that he's going to end up being a bottle baby and she will be raised by momma. I'd keep trying to get momma to accept him for a few more days (someone with experience needs to give you a better time frame on how long to keep trying) and hope she gives in.

I do know that the breeder I got my ND's from last spring showed me one of his momma's that had twins and she wouldn't let the littler one nurse for anything. He went out for around two weeks multiple times a day and held her and forced her to let the littler one nurse. She eventually stopped fighting and raised both babies; he told me that's not always the case - sometimes you have to pull one and raise it yourself.

 

[helmstead]

Yup, yellow poo is a very good thing and yup, some babies pass the meconium right away after birth and you don't get to see it. As long as you're getting yellow poo in the first 24...you're on track.

Good job!!!

The other great thing is that milking the dams REALLY bonds them to humans. My doe, Sarah Lee, was COMPLETELY totally buck wild when we got her. After 1 week of milking, you'd have thought she was bottle raised.